Airship.



Fl RIOTTE.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1913.

1,121,762, Patented Dec. a2; 1914.

ERIDA RIOTTE. OF SCELETTSTADT. GERMANY.

AIRSHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Dee. 2, 191%,

Application filed July 5. 1913. Serial No. 777.5%.

Z'o r1 hom 21': may wonrerzt:

be it hllUVv'Il that l. Flam Rio'rru, a sub ieel ot' the German llmpire.residing at P ullltllSliltlt. (lei-many. have invented certain new anduseful lmprovenients in Airships. of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an airship which c unprises in combination alying machine and a as bal oon. the gas balloon being use-ll to balan eapproximately the weight oi the airship a mi being arranged between latval balloons capable. of being giradualljv' iilled to facilitate theascent and retention oi the airship in emiilibrium. The gondola or carfor the passen ers has an outer covering: in the form or gas tubes whichare emparvwl on the one hand as, reservoirs for comm-e 'd as for use infilling the lateral balloons (hiring the a. unit to insure an ascent asvertical as possible. and also for simseaiiently filling them whiletraveling, and on the other hand to form a cushion or butler which inthe event of a sudden land ing will minimize any shock and render thelanding safe and smooth. it resilient skid is provided below the car andadapted to co-aet with the as tubes thereon in order to i in the initialascent from the ground and also to insure a sale landing. The airshiptherefore. permits of ascent and landin without necessitating theassistance of a skilled pilot.

in addition to the foregoing. the undersides of the lateral balloonshave a particular 'li'irmation which renders them capable of acting asaeroplanes or supporting surfaces when the airship is caused to traveltor-ward under the action of a suitable propeller so that safe 'llightwith balloons of romparat'ii'el small volume is rendered pos sible. Thecomplete airship conseipientlv forms a particular combination l)()\lllCi1T Q an apparatus possessing a high maneuvering capacity. 7Owing to the gas tubes covering the car a descent on water is renderedpossible.

The aceempanvinp; drawing illustrates by wajv of exami'ile an airshipaccording to the invention. Figures 1 and "3 being" respeo tiveljv' aelevation and a front ele'v'atiol'i. is a diagrammatic plan on a smallerscale showing the outlines of the three bal loons and indicating therelative positions of the louver rudders.

The airship illustrated consists of a cen USS tral gas balloon a. ofknown form. To this are laterally connected two special balloons Z) I).which. however, are organically connected to the balloon a, andstiffened by transverse supports (7, and ties (Z in such a manner. thattheir under surfaces 02, form two lateral wing-like supporting surfacesfor the balloon a, which surfaces are downwardl} inclined toward therear. The under surfaces form in etlect aeroplanes. A current of'airproduced by an air propeller g. therefore. strikes on both sides uponthese supporting surfaces 0. d and causes the whole airship to ascend.It is essential that the current of air should be efi'ectivelydistributed to the right and to the left by the cylindrical balloon a,upon the supportin; surfaces, and consetmentl) a single air propellersul'iices for the entire flying apparatus: two air propellers can be.employed if desired. by an}' suitable means and can also be arrangedsomewhat higher. The drive, in the constructional example illustrated,is offected by chain transmission 7', from the motor which is mounted inthe front of the gondola or boat-like car. The car is closed in on allsides and is capable of floatinf This is also assisted by the air-tubesh, of which any suitable number are provided around and under the ca andwhich are ad vanlaeeouslv in communication with one another and. on theone hand, are fitted with valves i. through, which they may be filledwith hydrogen and the like and, on the other hand. are. connected to theballoons b,

by hand operated closure members or valves and tubular conduits Z.pressed or pumped into the tubes 72., forms a cushion undrrneatl'i andaround the car which insures a resilient landing of the car on theground and a better iloating capability. A starting shid o. is arrangedbelow and when st ained is free to bear againstthe re ilient gas cushionso that it facilitates starting and permits of landing without shock.

The supporting surfaces 0 (Z, have rearward louver extensions or ruddersm. and. n. which can be operated and adjusted from the drivers seat bycables or other tension members so that duplicate steering is possibleand this also as these laps are provided in two separate relativelydisposed at an obtuse angle (For. 3i. bteering for ascent or descent 18,obtained v hen all the The. air propeller can be driven The gaseoinflaps are adjusted at an angle, and lateral steering when only oneset of flaps, either m or n, is adjusted. In this manner means areprovided for effectively meeting lateral Wind disturbances. The breadthand length of the flaps may be varied; short outer flaps would sufiice.For exhausting the gas the balloons may be in the usual manner providedat the top with hand operated exhaust valves.

. When first filling the lateral balloons the usual gas, for example,from steel bottles, is

employed, the bottles being connected to the 1. An air ship comprisingin combination a" central gas balloon, a lateral gas balloon parallelwith and located on each side of the central gas balloon, the bottoms ofthe lateral two gas balloons being horizontal and in the same plane, thehorizontal bottoms of the lateral balloons extending from the front endof the central balloon then curve upwardly and thence are inclineddownwardly and terminate at'the rear substantially in alinement 'ith thebottom of the central balloon, rudders at the rear ends of the lateralballoons ia propeller, a car, and means on the car for operating therudders and the propeller.

2. An airship comprising in combination, a central gas balloon, lateralgas balloons ar ranged alongside of and connected .to the.

central gas balloon, having under surfaces forming aeroplanes, saidaeroplanes being in a horizontal plane with the central bal loon, a carfor passengers, gas tubes placed around the sides and bottom of said carthe tubes being arranged transversely ofthe car, means for gonductinggas from said gas tubes to the aforesaid balloons, and means forpropelling said airship.

3.,An airship comprising in combination, a'centr'al gas balloon,"lateral gas balloons arranged alongside of and connected to the centralgas balloon having undersurfaoes forming aeroplanes said aeroplanesbeing in a horizontal plane With the central balloon, a car forpassengers, gas tubeson said car for supplyin the aforesaid balloonswith gas during -ight, a resilient skid on the underside of said our forfacilitating initial ascent and landing, and means for propelling.

said airship, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore setforth.

l. An airship comprising in combination, a central gas balloon, lateralgas balloons having undersurfaces torn-ling aeroplanes, transversesupports and ties for connecting said balloons, louver rudders at therear of the lateral balloons, a passenger car, means operable on the carfor operating said louver rudders, means on the car for supplying saidballoons with gas during flight, and means for pro elling said airshipsubstantially as and or the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

5. An airship comprising three, gas balloons two of said balloons beingarranged symmetrically one on each side of the third, and havingundersurfaces forming aeroplanes, a boat-shaped passenger car, gas tubesoutside said car and on the sides and bottom thereof, a conduit betweensaid tubes and the aforesaid lateral balloons, a hand valve on saidconduit, louver rudders at the rear of the lateral balloons for steeringthe airship both laterally and vertically, and a propeller for throwin acurrent of air on to the under surfaces of the lateral balloons and forpropulsion purposes, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbetoreset forth.

6. An airshi comprising in combination a central gas balloon, lateralgas balloons having under surfaces forming aeroplanes, a

car, gas tubes surrounding the sides and bottom of said our and adaptedto act as regulators and gas feeders for the filling of the balloons,said gas tubes also acting as cushions for facilitating landing Withoutshookcand as buoyant bodies for supporting the car on W-ater.

v 7. An airship comprising a central elongated gas balloon, aeroplaneson each side of said central gas balloon, the aeroplanes extending fromthe front end of the balloon and curving upwardly and then incliningdownwardly and terminating at the rear lower portion of said balloon,rudders at the rear end of said aeroplanes, lateral gas balloons mountedon top of the aeroplanes alongside the central gas balloon, a carsuspended from the aeroplanes, means carried by the car to supply theballoons with gas, 7.

means in the car for operating the rudders, and a propeller forpropelling the airship.

In testimony Whereo I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses. c

' I FREDA RIGTTE.

\Vitnssos 1 JACOB-WILLIAM SCHMIDT, CHARLns A HALLEY, J r.

